A number of devices for transferring and diluting liquids within the confines second container are found in the literature. For example, Jones (GB739485) discloses a cylindrical connecting device, threaded at both ends of the cylinder and possessing a filter unit at its centre designed to filter two-phase dispersions from one container into the other. However the device of Jones is used with open systems and disclosed no means of piercing or otherwise penetrating a protective membrane across the neck of either of the containers, thus making it impossible to dilute or dissolve from a sealed container.
Bochtler (WO2005/056402) and Morel (EP0293290) also disclose screw threaded cylindrical connectors both of which incorporate a top hat type circular hole cutter at the centre of the cylinder. However, neither discloses means of preventing the circular pieces of membrane detached by the twisting motion of the hole-cutter getting into the transferred material or diluted solution and interfering with subsequent processes e.g. spraying.
Both Nipro Corp (EP1145702) and Cavazza (GB2050184) disclose cylindrical connectors which incorporate non-threaded, thrust entry for the refill container. However, the former is clearly a medical instrument designed to prepare injections and requires the use of a separate syringe to affect the transfer while the latter is effectively confined to the transfer of liquids by virtue of the relatively narrow and long connecting channels, between the two containers which are a requirement of the design.
The dissolution of water soluble solid (tablet, granule, pellet or powder) within a closed spray applicator system is also known. Known systems designed to dissolve water soluble solids suffer the same drawbacks as discussed above and usually require formulation change unacceptable to the functionality of the product and can have safety drawbacks. Systems based on water soluble sachets etc additionally present difficulties of spray-head blockage from residues of the packaging material or the inconvenience of having to adjust the chemistry of the water used to create the diluted solution.
Accordingly, all the pre-disclosed transfer systems fail to meet our current requirements of, efficiency and accuracy of transfer, lack of contamination of the prepared solution from the refill container packaging system, possible integration of the cylindrical connector device with the refill material container, re-usability of the cylindrical connector device and low manufacturing costs
The present invention avoids all the problems and difficulties associated with prior art dissolution and dilution systems and devices.